Chelsea accused of lacking class by Neil Warnock after Cardiff City missed out on Tammy Abraham dealBy Simon Johnson

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock has accused Chelsea of lacking class for failing to tell him that Tammy Abraham wouldn’t be joining the Welsh club last month.

Warnock has revealed that he made a bid to sign the England international on a season-long loan and promised Chelsea he would start him on a regular basis.

It is believed Abraham preferred to join a Premier League club this term, however, he ended up moving to Championship side Aston Villa three weeks after the transfer deadline for top flight clubs had expired.

While Warnock was sad to miss out on the 20-year-old, he was left most upset by Chelsea’s handling of the matter.

He told Standard Sport: “I wanted Tammy Abraham from day one. I spoke to Eddie Newton (Chelsea’s loan player technical coach) about it, but he ended up at Aston Villa.

“I was really disappointed they didn’t even come back to me. I thought I at least deserved a phone call saying ‘sorry Neil, he’s not joining’.

“It might have been because our deadline was three weeks before the Championship’s. Perhaps they weren’t sure at the time and then he ends up leaving at the end of the month, when only a move to a Championship club is possible. But even then, a phone call would have been better and shown a bit of class.”

Abraham’s first loan was a success at Championship side Bristol City in 2016-17 as he scored an impressive 26 goals but he struggled in the Premier League last term at Swansea, who were relegated, finding the net just eight times.

Abraham was hoping to secure another chance to prove himself in the top flight and Warnock was prepared to give it to him.

The Cardiff boss has been left mystified by Chelsea’s decision to send him back down a division to Aston Villa instead.

He added: “Tammy would have been my main man in the Premier League – surely that would have been better for him? I don’t understand it. Surely they would want him playing in the Premier League?

“I don’t think it was a question over the size of the loan fee - we would have paid it. I just the felt the way we played, he would have enjoyed it and had an impact. I missed out on a few players waiting for him too, which disappointed me. But that’s life.”

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